Summary covers more than 20 ingredients in a daily eye-health capsule sold in the U.S., including lutein, zeaxanthin, saffron, bilberry and ginkgo
TALLMADGE, Ohio, Oct. 6, 2026 — VisiFlora, a dietary supplement company based in Tallmadge, Ohio, today published a summary of the research on the ingredients in its daily eye-health capsule. The summary reports that the largest clinical trials of these nutrients, the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) and AREDS2, found benefit only in people who already had intermediate age-related macular degeneration (AMD) or advanced AMD in one eye.
Those trials tested formulas containing 25 to 80 mg of zinc. The VisiFlora capsule lists 11 mg. The summary also reports that a systematic review of bilberry found no rigorous support for improved night vision in healthy adults, that a Cochrane review of ginkgo for AMD left the question unanswered, and that research on a gut-eye connection is still limited.
The company states that the product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, including AMD and cataracts.
“The trials that produced the strongest results enrolled people who already had macular degeneration,” said James Smith, Media Relations at VisiFlora. “The capsule contains 11 milligrams of zinc. Those trials used 25 to 80.”
Product Details
The capsule contains vitamins A (as beta-carotene), C and E, zinc, copper, selenium, chromium, lutein, zeaxanthin, lycopene, astaxanthin, saffron, bilberry, ginkgo, coleus forskohlii, eyebright, grape seed extract, rutin, quercetin, taurine and alpha lipoic acid. The recommended serving is one capsule daily with a meal and a glass of water.
The summary groups the ingredients by how they have been studied:
- Vitamins, minerals and carotenoids tested in large trials of people with AMD: vitamins A, C and E, zinc, copper, lutein and zeaxanthin.
- Plant extracts and antioxidants with small or mixed human eye studies: saffron, bilberry, ginkgo and astaxanthin.
- Other ingredients without an established eye-health outcome that the company attributes to them: coleus forskohlii, eyebright, grape seed extract, rutin, quercetin, taurine, alpha lipoic acid, lycopene, selenium and chromium.
The company lists zinc at 11 mg per serving. The Supplement Facts panel is the source for the other amounts, which cannot be compared directly with the doses used in the studies described below. The company does not state that the product changes the course of any eye disease.
AREDS and AREDS2: Trials in People With AMD
In the original AREDS trial, people at high risk of advanced AMD who took a formula of vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, zinc and copper had about a 25 percent lower risk of progressing to advanced AMD over five years [1]. The formula contained 500 mg of vitamin C, 400 IU of vitamin E, 15 mg of beta-carotene, 80 mg of zinc and 2 mg of copper.
AREDS2 enrolled 4,203 people aged 50 to 85 who had intermediate AMD in both eyes, or intermediate AMD in one eye and advanced AMD in the other [2]. Adding lutein and zeaxanthin to the original formula had no additional overall effect on the risk of advanced AMD. Participants who took a formula with lutein and zeaxanthin in place of beta-carotene had an 18 percent lower risk than those who took beta-carotene without them [3]. Former smokers who took beta-carotene had a higher rate of lung cancer [2]. Neither lutein and zeaxanthin nor omega-3 fatty acids changed the need for cataract surgery or produced significant changes in visual acuity [2].
Results from these trials do not extend to people without AMD. Clinicians note there is no scientific evidence that the AREDS formulation prevents AMD in people without it or slows it in people with mild AMD [4]. The VisiFlora capsule contains beta-carotene and has a lower zinc amount than the AREDS formulas.
Saffron: Small Trials in People With AMD
A randomized trial in Graefe’s Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology gave 20 mg of saffron daily or placebo to 100 older adults with mild to moderate AMD in a crossover design and reported modest improvements in visual function, including in people who also used AREDS supplements [5]. The trial was small and short, and its participants had AMD. The findings have not been shown in healthy adults.
Bilberry: Night Vision Claim Not Supported in Healthy Adults
Bilberry has had a reputation for improving night vision since the mid-20th century. A systematic review in Survey of Ophthalmology identified 30 trials and found that the four most recent randomized trials were negative. It concluded that the claim that bilberry anthocyanosides improve normal night vision is not supported by rigorous clinical studies [6]. The review found no rigorous research in people with impaired night vision.
Ginkgo: Question Unanswered in AMD
A Cochrane review of ginkgo extract for AMD found two small, short trials that reported some positive effects on vision, with results that could not be pooled. The review concluded that research has not answered whether people with AMD benefit [7]. Ginkgo can increase bleeding risk and interact with blood-thinning medicines [8].
Astaxanthin and Other Antioxidants: Preliminary Evidence
A review in Marine Drugs describes animal and human studies of astaxanthin for eye conditions and states that further long-term clinical trials are needed to define dosage and composition [9]. For taurine, alpha lipoic acid, quercetin, rutin, grape seed extract, lycopene, eyebright, selenium and chromium, the company does not attribute an eye-health outcome to the capsule.
Gut-Eye Link: Research Still Early
Research on a gut-eye connection examines whether gut bacteria are associated with AMD. A 2025 review in Neural Regeneration Research states that direct research on the role of intestinal flora in AMD is still relatively limited [10]. The VisiFlora capsule lists no probiotic or prebiotic ingredient, and the company does not state that it changes gut bacteria or the gut-eye link.
Limits of the Evidence
The summary separates three questions: what each ingredient is, what researchers have found about it, and what has been demonstrated about the finished capsule.
Four limits apply across the studies: the doses differ from the capsule, the populations differ (people with AMD instead of the general adult population), the outcomes differ (disease progression or small changes in visual function instead of eye comfort or focus), and several studies tested a single ingredient or a different formula. The findings for saffron come from people with AMD, and the findings for bilberry and ginkgo are negative or unresolved. The finished formula has not been evaluated in published clinical trials, and the company does not present it as clinically evaluated or attribute ingredient-level findings to the complete capsule.
“The bilberry review found no rigorous support for night vision in healthy adults, and the Cochrane review of ginkgo calls the question unanswered,” said James Smith. “Both findings are in the published summary.”
Safety and Suitability
VisiFlora is intended for adults. Because the formula contains vitamin A as beta-carotene, ginkgo and coleus forskohlii, people in the following situations should consult a qualified healthcare professional before use:
- smoke or have smoked, because beta-carotene supplements were linked to higher lung cancer rates in former smokers in AREDS2 [2]
- take blood thinners or antiplatelet medicines, or are scheduled for surgery, because ginkgo and coleus may increase bleeding [8,11]
- take blood pressure medication or have low blood pressure, because coleus forskohlii may lower blood pressure [11]
- take other supplements containing zinc, copper, selenium or vitamin A, which have upper intake limits
- are pregnant, nursing or planning a pregnancy
Sudden vision loss, flashes of light, new floaters or eye pain need prompt medical evaluation. A supplement is not a substitute for regular eye examinations, which are how AMD is detected. The product is not intended for children. Consumers should follow the label directions, and the Supplement Facts panel is the definitive source for ingredient amounts, directions and warnings.
Availability
VisiFlora is sold to U.S. consumers online at getvisiflora.com, and orders are processed by ClickBank. The product is a capsule, and the recommended serving is one capsule daily with a meal and a glass of water. The product is manufactured in the United States in an FDA-registered facility that follows Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) guidelines. FDA facility registration and GMP compliance relate to manufacturing standards, identity, purity and quality controls. They do not indicate FDA approval of the product or its claims.
About VisiFlora
VisiFlora is a Tallmadge, Ohio-based dietary supplement company. Its mission is to offer adults a daily eye-health capsule together with a plain-language summary of what research does and does not show about each ingredient, so that people can judge the product against the evidence. The capsule contains vitamins, minerals, carotenoids and plant extracts.
References
- Age-Related Eye Disease Study Research Group. A randomized, placebo-controlled, clinical trial of high-dose supplementation with vitamins C and E, beta carotene, and zinc for age-related macular degeneration and vision loss: AREDS report no. 8. Archives of Ophthalmology. 2001;119(10):1417–1436.
- Age-Related Eye Disease Study 2 Research Group. Lutein + zeaxanthin and omega-3 fatty acids for age-related macular degeneration: the AREDS2 randomized clinical trial. JAMA. 2013;309(19):2005–2015.
- National Eye Institute. What AREDS means to you; AREDS2 results.
- University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center. Dietary supplements and age-related macular degeneration.
- Broadhead GK, Grigg JR, McCluskey P, et al. Saffron therapy for the treatment of mild/moderate age-related macular degeneration: a randomised clinical trial. Graefe’s Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology. 2019;257(1):31–40.
- Canter PH, Ernst E. Anthocyanosides of Vaccinium myrtillus (bilberry) for night vision: a systematic review of placebo-controlled trials. Survey of Ophthalmology. 2004;49(1):38–50.
- Evans JR. Ginkgo biloba extract for age-related macular degeneration. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2013;(1):CD001775.
- Mayo Clinic. Ginkgo.
- Giannaccare G, Pellegrini M, Senni C, et al. Clinical applications of astaxanthin in the treatment of ocular diseases: emerging insights. Marine Drugs. 2020;18(5):239.
- The gut-eye axis: from brain neurodegenerative diseases to age-related macular degeneration. Neural Regeneration Research. 2025.
- Natural Medicines. Coleus forskohlii monograph; Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Forskolin.
Media Contact
James Smith, Media Relations
VisiFlora
285 Northeast Ave, Tallmadge, OH 44278, United States
Email: support@visiflora.com
Phone: 1-800-390-6035
Website: getvisiflora.com
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Research referenced in this release concerns individual ingredients and does not constitute clinical evaluation of the complete VisiFlora formula or endorsement by the cited researchers, journals, institutions or government agencies.
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The post VisiFlora Reviews: Supplement Maker Publishes Ingredient Research Summary; Strongest Trial Evidence Covers People With Intermediate Macular Degeneration, Not the General Adult Population appeared first on 24 Health Times.
